[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Lizzy Chung is about to kick off the biggest trial of her life so far. But before she can get rolling on her opening argument, she has a panic attack and blacks out. When she comes to, Jack is there. Her best friend, always there when she needs him.
While Lizzy recovers and goes on to win her trial, there’s no joy in it. No sense of accomplishment. So she takes 3 weeks off in Weldon, where Jack lives. She’s staying in a studio apartment over a bookstore in need of some TLC. It will be just the break Lizzy needs.
Meanwhile, Jack is looking for purpose in his own life. He’s secretly applied for a job in LA, where he could be closer to Lizzy. But as Jack is preparing for his big move, Lizzy is wondering if LA is where she even belongs.
Review
I enjoyed this contemporary romance centered around a bookstore. The bookstore bits – and Lizzy’s love of checking things off a to do list – were delightful. I also enjoyed the identity/self-discovery elements for both Lizzy and Jack. While the eventual conflict was no surprise, I did enjoy the individual character journeys, especially Lizzy’s which felt more developed.
Jack and Lizzy have great chemistry together. And the will-they-or-won’t-they progressed just far enough to be enjoyable and not dragged out.
This has a definite Hallmark movie feel. The pacing, the “predictable” conflict (not a complaint or judgement – just a description), the resolution follow a fairly standard layout. This can make for a satisfying “comfort” read.
Contemporary romance fans and fans of the series will want to pick this one up to see how things continue to develop for this community. You can read my review of book one, A Sweet Mess, here.
Rating: ♥♥♥½*
*♥♥♥½ = Good+